PEDs for your digital music: Marantz launches the NA-11S1 DAC

Engineered to reproduce a full spectrum of sound from modern music sources, the NA-11S1 is outfitted with an RJ-45 LAN port, allowing you to connect to your home network and access a multitude of Internet radio stations and streaming options. The device is also equipped with Apple’s AirPlay so users can stream tunes directly from their Apple devices.

USB inputs on both the front and rear panels provide even more options. The front panel USB port is a type A, designed for your portable devices (phones, MP3 players, etc.), while the rear panel USB is a type B port, crafted to connect to PCs and Macs directly. Rounding out the connectivity options, we have dual (optical and coaxial) outputs and dual digital inputs that allow the NA-11S1 to be used as a DAC with other digital audio sources.

The NA-11S1 has you solitary audiophiles covered too, sporting a dedicated headphone amplifier for when there are no parties rocking (or you weren’t invited).

Marantz touts its device’s ability to bring a new level of richness, and other “sonic refinements” to a bevy of file types, including WAV, WMA, MP3, MPEG-4 AAC, FLAC, ALAC, and DSD. That’s the nice way to look at it. If you prefer a slightly crasser take, think of this unit like a dose of PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) for your wimpy digital music.

Overall, it looks pretty darn full-featured. But at $3500, it better deliver on every one of its marketing promises. If Marantz’s reputation is any indication, however, we wouldn’t bet against that being the case.

The Reference Class NA-11S1 Network Audio Player and DAC is available now.